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This is a blog of liberal stance and independent mind

Wednesday, 9 May 2012

Fleet Street Tabloid Clowns Well Foxed

Hacks like to complain about Twitter. But, equally, they
like to be on Twitter. This is a category of Tweeters that want to have it both
ways: they want to be able to show themselves off using whatever medium – preferably
free – is available, but object when they find that Twitter, like a crowded
suburban train, contains anyone and everyone who wants to make that particular
journey.

And then there is the matter of anonymity. Some Tweeters do
so from an assumed name, but here a problem enters: anonymous users who then
abuse their cover tend not to attract sympathy, and the basic problem of the
less talented in being unable to cover their tracks leads to their being
unmasked. In the last few days, two of these anonymous Tweeters have been
rumbled.

First, and most instantly deserving, was the splendid
specimen of buffoonery calling himself Tabloid Troll. The claim to anonymity
was reinforced by the assertion that he was a “whistleblower”, but the third hand gossip being peddled fell far
short of deserving that appellation. And then he started being abusive to
others, while trying to unmask other anonymous users.

Thus Tabloid Troll had crossed the line, as he attempted
(hilariously badly) to “out” the
excellent Tabloid Watch, while keeping up a torrent of jealous abuse at Rich
Peppiatt for being moderately successful since his departure from the
appallingly downmarket Daily Star. The day of reckoning came when the serially
tenacious Tim Ireland of Bloggerheads fame induced a click too many from him.

2 comments:

Good piece, Tim. I stopped following FSF on Twitter some time ago. I suppose I could have discovered her identity if I could've been bothered to do so. There were clues: 'lecturing' to Journalism students at Brunel University for instance. But it was FSF's constant ,self-important, whingeing for no good reason that did it for me.